Expansible buckle



Nov. 18, 1958 K. w. MacPHl-:RSON

EXPANSIBLE BUCKLE Filed Dec. 28. 1954 l N VEN TOR KENNETH W. Moc PHERSON Bx/9 'e F ig. 8

Q .Q1 MM ATTORNEY United States Patent O EXPANSIBLE BUCKLE Kenneth W. MacPherson, Rochester, N. Y. Application December 28, 1954, Serial No. 478,064

7 Claims. (Cl. 24-163) The present invention relates to an expansible buckle and has for an object to provide an article of this kind which has an overall thickness only slightly greater than the thickness of the belt to which it is adapted to be attached and a minimum of length so that the buckle is relatively short and presents a simple, compact and neat appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character capable of quick and easy expansion and contraction so as to automatically accommodate the belt to the body of thewearer in response to any waist expansion or contraction occasioned by breathing, walking, stooping and other bodily movements Without restricting such movements and to provide a gentle snugness.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an expansible buckle, the use of which will substantially reduce the excessive wear and distortion to which belts equipped with conventional buckles are subjected, especially in the region of the tongue receiving perforations which can therefore be placed closer together to impart a greater range of adjustability of the belt to the wearer.

A still further object Iof the present invention is to 4 provide a device of this type capable of being quickly and easily applied to a suitable strap.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and the objects or improvements more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the buckle constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as applied to a garment support belt,

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the same,

Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 with the free end portion ofthe belt removed,

Figure 3A is a rear elevational view of the slidable unit,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2, j

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 5A is a rear elevational view of the hook plate,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, 4

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing a modified form of means for securing the buckle to the butt end of the belt, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates generally the expansible buckle of the present invention which is adapted to be attached to the butt end portion 11 of a garment supporting belt and selec- 2,860,398 Patented Nov. 18, 1958 tively engaged with perforations or slits 12 formed in the free end portion 13 of the belt.

The buckle 10 comprises a front cover plate 14, a rear cover plate 15, a front slide plate 16, a rear slide plate 17, an anchor or hook plate 18, a pair of coil or helical springs 19 and an anchor pin 37. l

The front cover plate 14 is a generally oblong shaped plate of appropriate material, such as metal, and has a width substantially the same as that of the belt. The forward edge portion of the plate 14 is bent inwardly as at 21 to the main portion of the plate and the inner part of the bent portion 21 is cut away along its opposite side edge portions to provide an intermediate hook or tongue 22 and an inwardly facing shoulder 23 at the base of the hook and on each side thereof.

Adjacent its tail edge 24, the plate 14 has formed integrally therewith a pair of lateral wings 25 extending from each side edge of the plate at an angle of the order of forty-five degrees to the plane of the plate. Each of these wings is substantially triangular-shape with the apex portion cut off to provide a flat blunt edge 26 which is presented to the wearer of the buckle and belt to prevent damage or injury to the clothes and the wearer.

The wings 25 serve as guides for the free end portion 13 of the belt and as linger grips for the thumb and forenger of the wearer in adjusting the buckle. The side edge portions of the plate 14 between the wings 25 and the bent portion 21 or end wall are rolled over as indicated at 27 to form flanges which overlie and engage correspondingly rolled over lateral flanges 23 formed by the side edge portions of the rear cover plate 15.

The rear cover plate 15 is a generally oblong plate of suitable material, such as metal or the like, and may be made of the same material as the front cover plate 14, if desired. A pair of laterally spaced apart lugs 29 extend forwardly from the forward edge of' the plate 15 to seat upon the shoulders 23 of the plate 14 and are bent outwardly to frictionally engage the outer face of the bent portion 21 of the plate 14 for securing the plates 14 and 15 together and preventing relative longitudinal movement of the plates.

The two lugs 29 may optionally be bent away from and at right angles to the rear plate 15. Also to contact these lugs the flange around to the rear front plate 14 may have two lug extensions located at its forward edge. In the assembling the rear plate 15 with its slidable combination is moved longitudinally forward into the flanged front plate member 14. These optional two lugs 29 slip under the two lug extensions which spring up and then snap down. Thus the rear plate 15 becomes removably fixed in position. (l) the appearance is better, (2) the rear plate 15 surely does not need to be renewed when the old strap is replaced with a new one, and (3) since the material of rear plate 15 does not need to match that of the front plate 14, it can be of more pliable material.

The flanges 27 and 28 cooperate to maintain the plates 14 and 15 in spaced apart substantially parallel relation, the anges 27 overlying and engaging marginal edge portions of the plate 15 to prevent the plates from moving apart and the iianges 2S yof the plate 15 abutting the inner face of the plate 14 to prevent the plates from moving towards one another. It is, therefore, apparent that the two plates 14 and 15 will provide a housing which accommodates the slide plates 16 and 17, the anchor plate 18 and the springs 19. Adjacent its rear edge, the plate 15 is pushed out so as to provide an inwardly projecting lug 30 which serves as a bumper, later described.

The front slide plate 16 may be made of any suitable material, such as metal, and is of a generally oblong shape and is provide'd lwith rolled over flanges 31 which begin at the forward edge of the slide plate and terminate a short distance from the rear edge thereof, as seen in Figure 3A. Adjacent its rear edge, the front slide plate 1-6 is of reduced width to form laterally extending shoulders 32 extending from the opposite side edges of the plate. The flanges 28 of the rear cover plate 15 overle and slidably engage the flanges 31 of the front slide plate 16 so as to serve as guides for the plate 16 to prevent canting or jamming of the plate 16 during its in and out sliding movements within the housing formed by the plates 14 and 15.

The anchor or hook plate 18 is substantially square and is provided at its rear end portion with lugs 33 which extend from the opposite edges of the plate 18 to provide shoulders .which in the assembled position of the parts coincide with the shoulders 32 and are in horizontal alignment with the shoulders 32 of the front slide plate 16. At its forward edge the anchor plate 1S is provided with four hooks 34 which extend forwardly from the anchor plate. Each of the coil springs 19 is bent or doubled into U-shape formation, as is clearly shown in Figure of the drawings.

The end coils 35 of each spring 19 are engaged over the hooks 34 which are bent inwardly to accommodate said end coils 35. An intermediate ycoil 36 at the closed end of each spring 19 has an anchor pin 37 extending therethrough. The anchor pin 37 has its opposite end portions received by suitable cut away portions or notches of the rear cover plate so that the pin 37 is fixed against relative movement with respect to the plates 14 and 15.

The rear slide plate 17 is of generally oblong shape and may be made from any suitable material, such as metal or the like. This plate has formed in the central portion thereof a longitudinally extending slot 38 and adacent its rear edge the plate 17 has laterally extending lugs or clamp arms 39 Iwhich are bent over and received by notches or recesses 40 formed in the butt end portion 11 of the belt. The rear slide plate 17 is in engagement with the inner face of the butt end portion 11 of the belt and the anchor plate engages the outer face of the butt end portion 11 of the belt. The front slide plate overlies and engages the anchor plate and the clamp lugs 39 when received by the notches 40 engage the shoulders 32 and 33 of the plates 16 and 18 and clamp them securely together with the belt so that the butt end portion of the belt and the plates 16, 17 and 18 are securely held to gether as a unit,

In Figure 7 a simple modified means for holding the -butt end portion 11 of the belt and the plates 16, 17 and 18 together is illustrated. In this form of the invention a rivet 41 is used instead of the clamp lugs 39. The rivet 41 extends through suitable openings in the plates 16, 17 and 18 and in the 'butt end portion 11 of the belt.

In the use of the buckle, assuming lfor example that it is desired to use it on a trouser supporting belt and that the buckle has been secured to the butt end 11 of the belt, the hook 22 will Ibe inserted into one of the transversely extending perforations 12 of the belt end portion 13. As can be seen from Figures l and 2 of the drawings, the end portions 11 and 12 of the belt overlap with the free end portion 13 adjacent the wearer. ln this position the wings will engage the opposite side edges of the belt portion 13 and restrain it against lateral movement and thereby keep it in alignment with the buckle and the butt end 11 to present a neat and pleasing appearance.

Any increase in the circumference of the waist of the wearer will be automatically compensated for by the expansion or stretching of the springs 19 in response to the pull exerted thereon by the anchor plate 18 and the pin 37 under the influence of the longitudinal movement of the end portions 11 and 13 of the belt in opposite directions. This expanding action of the springs 19 will per- CFL mit the belt end portions to move in opposite directions and thus increase the circumference of the belt to compensate for the increase of the circumference of the waist of the wearer to prevent any binding or uncomfortable tightness of the belt. When the waist of the wearer returns to its normal circumference the springs will retract and the belt will be restored to its original preselected circumference so that the gentle snugness of the belt on the wearer will Ibe maintained.

It will be noted from Figure 8 of the drawings that the front and rear slide plates 16 and 17 form a casing for the springs 19, having its forward end open to permit axial expansion and contraction of the springs, but restraining them against movement in all other directions. It ywill also be noted that the hooks 34 are bent inwardly at an angle to the plane of the anchor plate 18 so that this angular positioning of the hooks 34 cooperates with the plates 16 and 17 to prevent the end coils 35 from escaping from the hooks 34.

The lug or bumper 30 will limit the extent of the relative movement of the cover plates 14 and 15 and the slide plates and anchor plate in both directions by engaging the opposite end walls of the longitudinal slot 38. The bumper 30 receives the force or impact of its engagement with the end walls of the slot endwise so that the bumper can be made small and yet be strong.

The hook 22 will be retained more securely in the slits 12 on account of the constant and increasing pull exerted by the springs 19. If the wearer buckles on the belt too loosely, the hook 22 may dislodge itself from the slit 12 but rebuckling can be done in an instant.

By bending the springs 19 into U-shape the diameter of the wire from which the springs are made can be smaller so that greater resilience is obtained than if straight springs of larger diameter wire'were used, and the assembling of parts is facilitated. The wire of the helical springs is preferably of non-rusting material. Furthermore, a buckle of minimum length is achieved. If desired, a spring of less diameter than spring 19 may be telescoped into each spring 19-l and have its end coils placed on the hooks 34 and the pin 37 extend through an intermediate coil at its closed end. This will further increase the resiliency of the springs, since a given amount of steel formed into two strands produces more elasticity than if formed into one strand, the lengths being equal. However, the operating four horizontal springs involve less cost and are satisfactory.

The front cover plate 14 is the only one of the plates that need be of relatively thick metal and it may be of any desired shape and embellished in any desired manner, as with an ornament or the like.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such `changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A expansible buckle adapted to be attached to a garment supporting belt comprising sliding means adapted to be attached to one end of the belt, a front plate and housing membr adapted to be engaged with the other end of the belt to hold the belt in substantially circular shape about the body of the wearer, and yieldable means between said sliding means and said member for permitting relative movement between said sliding means and said member for allowing the belt to varyV its circumference when subjected to a pressure and for automatically restoring the belt to its original circumference when the belt is relieved of the pressure, said sliding means comprising a rear sliding plate and an anchor plate both of which are attached to the sliding end of the belt, the anchor plate making connection with the yieldable means. h

2. An expansible buckle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said yieldable means is also attached to said housing member, said sliding plate having an elongated longitudinal slot therein, and a rear cover plate is attached to said member and is provided with a lug which rides in said slot for limiting the sliding movement of said sliding plate in opposite directions.

3. An expansible buckle as claimed in claim 2 wherein said sliding means also comprises a front sliding plate, said sliding plates being secured together on either side of said anchor plate and said yieldable means to provide a casing therefor.

4. An expansible buckle as claimed Iin claim 3 wherein said member comprises a front cover plate positioned in spaced relation to said rear cover plate by curved top and bottom longitudinal flanges fitting the one into the other to provide a housing for said sliding means.

5. An expansible buckle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said yieldable means comprises at least two coil springs each of which is folded upon itself into substantial U- shape, the four free ends being attached to said anchor plate and a pin extending through the midway convolution of each spring at -its closed end and bearing against said rear cover plate which is xed in respect to the front cover plate.

6. An expansible buckle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said rear cover plate is provided with longitudinal flanges on its opposite top and bottom sides having notches therein at the ends remote from the anchor plate and said pin has its opposite end portions received by said notches and supported thereby so that the end portions of the pin are concealed.

7. An expansible buckle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said yieldable means comprises at least two coil springs each of which is folded upon itself into substantial U- shape to provide a pair of substantially parallel legs and an eyelet at its closed end and having its free ends attached to said anchor plate and a pin extending through said eyelet of each spring at its closed end and bearing against said rear cover plate which is xed in respect to the front cover plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 532,806 McKenzie Ian. 22, 1895 1,257,841 Gilligan Feb. 26, 1918 1,694,944 Horix Dec. 11, 1928 1,771,894 -Lamb July 29, 1930 2,388,752 Loos Nov. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,189 Italy Nov. 28, 1951 740,719 France Nov. 2l, 1932 

